Edinburg, got to love it! I am staying in the same place this transfer but I officially have a new companera - her name is Sister McMahon! She is from Canada and has been out on her mission for 11 months. So same area, new companion and new outlook. There is so much to do, change sort of snow balls and now there is a lot more changing than just a new companion. We have a goal to start working with a different focus on members and receiving referrals from them. Hopefully this will lead to more set appointments and less tracting! Ill let you know, once our plans become actions! Anyway, a lot of crazy things happened this week beyond just the transfer! We are officially out of car miles. This presents a challenge because we usually use about 20 miles a day on our car and we have 2 miles plus emergency miles for the rest of the month. Good thing I love biking; since thats our only method of transportation for the coming week - holy cow just right that makes me nervous sick... Life is good! Oh we lost our phone, tambien! Actually I would have to say that "I lost our phone" since I am the one who definitely had it last. Setting up member present lessons and calling investigators becomes impossible without a phone so that will continue to be a struggle until we get a new one on thursday! Through the foggy mess of being without a phone, or car. It has been easy to see all the miracles and little blessings that Heavenly Father has given us the last couple days. Found a scripture this morning that I felt applied... In Alma 32: 13 "And now, because ye are compelled to be humble (we don't have a car or phone so consider us humbled) blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth (we are biking and trying to plan out directions better) shall find mercy (we need all the mercy and help we can get); and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end (working hard without a phone or car until saturday) the same shall be saved." Sometimes we are going through a patch when a lot of things are seemingly working against us and thats alright! We just have to humble ourselves and rely a little more on Heavenly Father and recognize the little miracles, cause there's a lot of them! We all have periods of endurance! And we are promised, that those trails wont last forever! Life is good over here in Edinburg, and I finds themselves well wherever they are! LOVE YOU ALL MUCHISIMO! H. Boo Crawford

Well, my first transfer in the mission field is tomorrow, it has been one hectic last week for Sister Bentz and I, we got so much done without knowing what the next transfer would bring. Our investigators required a lot of attention but we were able to get a lot done! This last two weeks one of our former investigators came back and showed personal interest in coming to church and activities, without us prompting him, his name is Gonzalo. We had been working with Gonzalo for my whole time in the mission field and when it got to his baptism date a couple weeks ago - he had dropped us out of the blue. So we stopped teaching him but continued to visit him when we were in the area. (we are currently teaching his next door neighbors). Well this last week we brought up baptism to him again and he wanted it! He talked to other Elders about what he would have to do to get baptized as soon as possible...and he did it! So this last week we visited him to just keep helping him progress. It has been awesome to see his life changed over the last 7 weeks!! He started out as a daily addict to some serious drugs, and although he didnt stop cold turkey...he has been able to quit and surround himself with completely new people, get a job to stay busy and be self reliant. It all started with his own decision to change, and his recognition of the good verses the bad in his life. Gonzalo's progress in changing his life around can be looked at exactly the same way as any one of our goals in life, and I have especially thought about it as transfers have been coming. We can choose a point in time, a goal date, and then make realistic plans to get there. There might be a lot you have to change to reach a goal but its possible to reach any goal with manageable plans! Its like looking up at a mountain, especially with my current view of the mission, and then just breaking it up into small peices, make it to that first boulder...then the next boulder...then the next and before you know it you are looking back down part of the mountain and are super proud of how far you've already come!! "Motivation follows action." Any goal needs to start with a decision to act, a little bit of action and your minor progress will motivate you to get cracking!! Its awesome! Yesterday, Gonzalo got baptized. It was so exciting to see how much work he had put into becoming more of the person that he wanted to become...dont get me wrong he has more to do! But his decision to want to be baptized, and then the actually baptism yesterday are huge steps that I know will help to motivate him to keep getting better!! Everyone: Set a goal and a date, then make plans to reach that goal!! Change whatever part of yourself that you want to change and it will make you so so so HAPPY! Thanks for all the love and support! Oh almost forgot. We got news about transfers yesterday too! Sister Bentz will be heading to a new area tomorrow but we dont know where yet and I will be staying in Edinburg Central and will be getting a new companion to finish training me! Pictures and updates on the big change will come next week! I LOVE YOU ALL H. Boo Crawford

Edinburg Week 5

Popsicles that we got from a bakery and the street we had to walk to to get to a neighborhood! SO PRETTY!

Sister Soliz! She is inactive for about 5 years but we see her everyweek and shes starting to come back to the rs activities! i love her to death though she is one sassy lady!! And she loves halloween so we took a pic with her next to her decorations.

We face painted like native americans for Pday zone activity Sister alvorado! She just recently got baptized and we go and read in the book of mormon with her every week! sHE IS so cute and hilarious!

Another week has come and gone, and my first transfer day is only a week away! That is seriously crazy to think about, but its comforting to know that for better or worse time is always pushing forward! Edinburg Central is doing awesome! Our focus on the less active, recent convert and active members is paying off big time! We had three investigators come to church this last week (and though that may not sound like a lot its a ton). Our work with the members made them so much more willing to walk people to class and sit with them and talk to them! It was really cool to see, and for our spanish investigators the members really help with language barriers too! We passed a field of haybells and so I thought I would take a pic cause they reminded me of the ranch! I made sure not to ruin them though!

Sorry I dont have more time to write but hopefully the pictures will give an idea of what our week was like! Thanks for all the support!! All my love H. Boo Crawford

weekly update Oct 6th Alright, this has been one of the more frustrating weeks as far as time and energy goes, but I really am starting to feel like a missionary. There has been quite a bit of rejection this week but its been more hurtful because it has been from people we have put a lot of time and energy into. We have been working with some people that we thought were great potentials and investigators but when we visited we got dropped or just people wouldn't be home. I still don't know what lesson I am suppose to learn from walking away from a door disappointed and prepared for a lesson that isn't going to happen yet... but I am sure I'll figure it out. Anyway the definite highlight of the week was General Conference!! Some of my favorite talks included Saturday Morning: Elder Todd Christofferson - his talk on agency and accountability was exactly what I have been thinking about for the last while. I just love our ability to choose and act and then the happiness we can feel from doing the right and taking responsibility for it. Saturday Afternoon: Elder Dallin H. Oaks - well overrall he blew my mind but I love our government set up and I want to learn more about the constitution when I get home. The structure of checks and balances is applicable to all types of power, and is definitely inspired. Saturday Afternoon: Elder Klebingat - he was just super straightforward. I completely agreed with the things he said we needed and should do to improve our spiritual self confidence, and the requirements are not just spiritual actions. Looking at the talks and the notes that I wrote I realized - that I got the most out of things that I have already been thinking a lot about and have done at least a little research on! In order to learn more about a specific topic and to get those lightbulbs we have to put in time and effort beforehand. A good lesson I am learning is the resources we have to study the gospel never change but the reason why we are studying and the focuses we have will completely change what we learn. Its all about our mindset! Anyway, think about something that is interesting to you whether related to church or not and then look up key words in the gospel resources that you have and new things will just start to click in your minds! Its seriously so cool! Thanks for the love and support - the prayers make a difference! H Boo Crawford